For today’s newsletter… I would like to talk about opportunities.

Happy Friday, my people!

For today’s newsletter… I would like to talk about opportunities.

Since I have switched careers, and decided to write full time, I have come to realize that opportunities do not fall from the sky. One must go after them. One must create them. Frankly, one must thirst after them to a certain extent.

It is a startling realization to come to at almost forty, which is still a young age, without being extremely young, to be sure. I used to work in finance, more precisely, the banking sector. I worked in that cut-throat world for almost 15 years. So, I can say I know enough about working under pressure, for people who are not necessarily more qualified, more educated, or even smarter. I know what it is to be denied a promotion because someone who plays the “office politics” game better than me. I never did learn to play that game, by the way. Go figure.

When you work at a bank, you don’t usually go after opportunities. They came to me. People need money. And where does one find money? Usually, at the bank. It is fast and reliable. So, almost all my adult life and all my professional life, opportunities came to me. I simply needed to not mess them up. Moreover, when you work for a bank, you get the regular, every two-week and stable paycheck. If you think about it, that setting is ideal. Well, I do not miss the constant surveillance, daily emails, monthly or weekly meetings “to improve my performance”, which were done systematically and didn’t do much to help me get better because, at the end of the day, I admit I couldn’t care less about finance. My personality didn’t fit with that sector, and ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Today, I am a freelancer. There is no stability. There is no safety-net. I feel like a prehistorical man, walking in the forest, looking for tracks, clues in the ground, like a true hunter, going after my prey. Today, if I don’t hunt, I don’t eat. And the Gods only know how many metaphorical meals, in this case, opportunities I have missed.

I have had to recalibrate and rewire my brain to hunt opportunities the way a cheetah hunts an antelope in the savanna. I must be fast, efficient, armed with a killer instinct I have yet to fully acquire. It isn’t easy. It is jarring, quite frankly. I got to a point I thought I was lazy. I know I am still scared of this new world I have put both my feet in. Yet, there is a joy in the hunt. I feel a sincere and deep jubilation when I get a gig. I feel I have reached a summit, albeit small, but it is an accomplishment all the same in my humble opinion. ?

I am hunting for opportunities. I do not care where they come from, so long as I get them. A friend of mine, who is in the service industry and who owns a business, said to me, “you gotta whore yourself, in the most positive and nicest way possible”, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I knew how right and on point he was. I am not trying to be crass, but I completely identified and understood what he meant.

Opportunities do not appear out of thin air. They don’t materialize out of nothing. You gotta go after them and prove to the prospective clients you are good enough. Through your work, they must trust you and retain your services, which isn’t a walk in the park, by any stretch of the imagination.

I have sent emails. I have asked for meetings. I have requested collaborations. I have tried to engage with people who could guide me or help me with my skills or ideas for my newfound passion and new business. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you choose to see it, most emails have gone unanswered, calls have gone to voicemail, and doors have closed directly in my face. I missed on so many damn opportunities. And other times, people have deemed me unfit to be part of their plans or businesses. That’s ok. No bitterness, no hard feelings. It is the way of the world.

So, here I am, desperately but enthusiastically, trying to create opportunities. Some I have landed. Yet most of them, I have missed on. And that’s ok. There is no point in getting angry or resentful about things that might very well be away from my reach and control. I simply must try harder. The hunt is on, and it never ends. I must use more dexterity, hone my skills and get the prey I have set my eyes on.

Amidst all this back and forth with numerous people, I understood one crucial thing; people might hire you for your skills, but your personality will do most of the talking. If you show respect, genuine attention, consideration, open-mindedness, kindness, and honesty, you will leave a good impression and that is the best currency ever.

I know I have landed some gigs because my affable personality did the talking more than my skills. At this point, sincerely, my writing skills cannot be denied. I am still working on them daily; I am sharpening them every time I am awake, but I am also working on getting to understand people better, putting my own biases aside and connect with others more. Basically, I am getting better as an “opportunity-hunter” by working on many levels. My God, does it feel good!

Truth be told, I still have not understood or grasped completely the whole concept of hunting for opportunities. Nevertheless, I see that I am getting bolder, more daring, surer of my human and writing abilities, and my confidence as an “opportunity-hunter” increases slowly but surely.

I feel like I got catapulted in the freelancing world and I had to learn the ropes of the job. It’s been a ride so far, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the journey looks like. At least, now I know, opportunities do not magically appear; you gotta go get them. I am hunting them, nonstop, and whenever I see an opening, the smallest one, I simply take a deep breath and I sell myself, in the most positive and nicest way, to quote again my buddy.

So, if you need someone who can help you with anything regarding writing, translating, editing, proofreading, and if you are even looking for someone to help you with speaking engagements or if you are looking to get better at public speaking, whether in French or English, I am the person who can help you.

You know how to reach me. Do not hesitate. I just created another opportunity for myself by writing this text. Not bad, right? ??

On that beautiful note, have a good weekend, my people!

Now smile and go on with your day!

Freeman. B